well iv trapping a few years now as a hobbie and i truly love it and after alot of thought i wanna try and go as a full time trapper/animal control i know its not the greatest money but if there are any other trapper out there plz chime in with what you pull down $$$ on your trap line i have a bunch of you tube links showing trap lines in bc nwt and alberta and these boys are pulling in soild numbers of wolf,bobcat,some mt loin lot of coyote lynx with the focus on wolf with wolf pelts going for 400-600$ can$ i would love to have me a swing at that even at 100$ per i can typicly adv 7 a week plus other furs thus far in soild areas

i have not done this full time befor and i mean for 4+ months living out in the bush iv been traping as a hobbie for 8 years ,i would like to get a feel for if it would be worth it to make at least a soild base living ie say in the 40k a year range and im talking hunting year round if its open your doing it type of trapping not just the winter time as wolf season can run from august right thru to april
so you have 9 months of season but say 4-5 months of prime season every prov is differnt so lets here from em all

how long is it.... what do you trap what part of canada you from ect...

im mainly looking at getting into snaring wolfves in either bc or alberta to start and maybe if the moneys good enuff ill goo to the n.w.t im not looking to be bill gates im just looking to make a living and enjoy the wilderness i love hunting and fishing and wish i could work as a guide for some out fitter im working on it calling out fitters across western canada hopefuly 1 will hire me id love to be a out fitter but i dont have the $$ to but a lodge out right but wodnt mind making a full time business of it.

You wanna trap in Alberta? By the sounds of it, you can't afford a trap line here. What kind of drugs are you on? , better check out the requirements for the areas you're talking about. ?????

Grizz

lol no drugs here i just have so much going on im trying to figure it all out i basicly want to become a full time trapper and im looking at the alberta/bc prov the most my main ? is how much do trappers in these parts make and is it enuff to make a actual living...also i have checked alot of the reg's in alot of the area i just cant deside on a certain area to head to yet hence why im asking for trappers here to chim in with there fav parts of the country what they basicly make and i can go from there its all info my friend and i have some serious thinking to do.

my main post was quite forward i just want peoples experiences if its a hobbie to them or somthing more

also to further explain with the loss of my right eye i can no longer work saftly as amachinist or at least i dont feel comfortable doing so and i would like to take up my life long dream of trapping and guideing for a living

You can't make a living trapping here, think how many animals you need to get to $40,000.00 after expenses.

The people who have traplines are usually rich oilfield dudes who use it as an excuse to have a cabin in the bush. In order to buy a trapline you need to be a resident of Alberta and be listed as a junior trapper on someone elses line. I think you need to be a junior for two years but I may be wrong on that part. Traplines go from 10K all the way up and I've seen some for over 60K. Then think about an oil company or logging comany coming in and screwing up your area.

Sounds like an ideal life, and if it was realistic I'd have done it myself. Sorry to burst your bubble.

These days trapping does make a good hobbie.

I use to trap every year but bad fur prices hi operating costs ect. Just didn't make it worth it any more.

im hearing this alot... with the price of fuel unless im gonna operate by dog sled im basicly looking at a yearly income after expenses of say around 28-31k max...aslo i would never try to trap in the lower states for a living alaska only

i still hold alberta residency i have 2 homes and btw 10k isnt that bad iv spent 40k on a rifle befor 10k isnt gonna hurt.

i may not of said this befor but im willing to also live 8-9 months of the year in a trappers cabin that means i live rent free. hydro free my only bills are gas/ammo/and food stuff's
i have all the other equipment and i have no shortage of traps i just had 2 other retired trapper give me there stuff so im rocking close to 300 conibear 330's and 200 other assorted coni's with prolly at least another 4-500 havnt counted em all yet wire snares and will be buying more im prepaird to work a 100km trap line i have been calling around and talking to alot and i mean alot of trappers in the far north as in n.w.t and north eastern bc and these guys are pulling in some decne t numbers over the winter.

im also looking at getting a job as a guide for a outfitter out there between the two hopefuly i have make a go of it, its all about living the dream i have no famalie so nothing to lose or hold be back.

Have at it good luck. I dreamed of doing it also as a young trapper. Living the life.

I hope you can do it enjoy it make a few bucks and be better off becaused you did.

I think you well fine running a long line full time is lots of work for the amount made.

But the exspearnce well be like no other.

to cut costs i even have acess to a dog sled and can easly use that for my close runs minimizing cost on fuel i know its a harder life than most would like to live but the bush has always been my home and it time i went back to it.

its also not all about the money its about the life the conection with the land.

In Alberta you can only use the cabin while activly trapping. It's a rule to keep people from becoming "squatters." So you best not sell both ouf your houses yet

i know about the sqatters rule a way around that is to declair your slef and sign the tax forms for making yours self "a free man on the land" its a law that we have had in canada its federal. there are also other older squatting rules like if i work the land and clear a way and maintain the land for 7 years it becomes mine then i can file for owner ship im still researching this out there is lots of misinformation alot of people dont realize you can lay claim to a pc of land and work it if you want to hack a life out of the wilderness for 7 years then by all mean its yours.

for this rule to be ineffect i have to activly work and maintain the land i cannot have multiple residences and byt signing that paper work i am no longer able to claim employment isurance or welfare if i were ever to need it but i gain so much in other ways.

Please keeep a accurate written record of your time in the bush. I would find it very interisting reading.

i have been asked that by at least a dozen people thus far.... so i have gone out and bought a few journals and a better vidieo camera to make short vids with and up load them when possible to you tube.

Good so when its 40 below and you spent all day on the line and half the night skinning and fleshing.

I know that you well fill up the journal so we can have a nice read.

Get started on the journal then it becomes habit and you will keep it up. maybe you could even turn it into a book.

good luck and keep us updated please

journal day number 1......dont leave squirrel snare where skunks can get into it had to put the skunk down with my long bow as im inside citie limits and cannot use a gun it got caught in a ramp snare.... some how dont ask me how...